Combination lock



COMBINATION LOCK Filed Jan. 8, 1956 3 Sheets-Sheet l Attorney July 13,1937.

J. SPADAFORA 2,087,169 COMBINATION LOCK Filed Jan. 8, 1936 3Sheets-Sheet 3 i flay .772 J adafofa Attorney l'rwentor' Patented July13, 1937 UNITED STATES COMBINATION LOCK Joseph Spadafora, Medford, Mass,assignor of fifty per cent to Conrad Zammitti, Boston,

Mass.

Application January 8, 1936, Serial No. 58,172

3 Claims.

This invention relates to a combination lock, the general object of theinvention being to provide a plurality of rotatably arranged ringshaving slots therein with a bolt controlling member movable into theslots when the rings have been moved to aline the slots, a knob forrotating the rings, adjustable means for regulating the rotary movementof the rings by the knob and pins for controlling the amount of rotationof the knob,

whereby one must know just what pin to push in and how to manipulate thepin and turn the knob before the lock can be unlocked.

Another object of the invention is to provide means for sounding analarm when certain of the push pins are pushed in, thus indicating whenan attempt is being made to unlock the device and the push pin can bedeliberately manipulated to sound an alarm if one is being forced tounlock the device by a burglar or the like.

features of construction and in the combination and arrangement of theseveral parts to be hereinafter fully described, illustrated in'theaccompanying drawings and specifically pointed out in the appendedclaims.

In describing the invention in detail, reference will be had to theaccompanying drawings wherein like characters denote like orcorresponding parts throughout the several views, and in which:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary elevation showing part of the door with thedevice forming the subject matter of this invention applied thereto.

Figure 2 is a view looking toward the inner face of the outer portion ofthe door and showing the parts in section andparts removed.

Figure 3 is a horizontal sectional view through Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a view of part of the rear face of the door showing thecontact part and a circuit closing portion of the device.

Figure 5 is a View looking into the ring carrying casing with theclosure plates removed.

Figure 6 is a view looking into the outer casing which carries the pushpins.

Figure 7 is a plan view of one of the rings.

Figure 8 is a view of one of the closure plates of the inner casing.

Figure 9 is a sectional View through one of the rings and showing a clipin side view.

Figure 10 is a view of a push pin and its contact member.

Figure 11 is a view of oneof the clips.

Figure 12 is a view of the spring actuated bolt 5 control member.

This invention also consists in certain other Figure 13 is a fragmentaryview of the tubular shaft with the projection thereon.

Figure 14 is a perspective of the plate with the projection thereon.

The drawings show the invention applied to 5 the door of a safe but itwill be understood that the invention can be applied to other types ofbarriers.

The door is shown at A and is shown as composed of the outer portion land the inner portion 2, the two portions being separated and theseportions are provided with holes for the passage of a tubular shaft orstem 3. An outer casing 4 is connected to the outer face of the door andan inner casing 5 is connected to the inner face of the outer part I ofthe door and the shaft passes through these casings and has a knob 6connected to its outer end. The shaft has a sleeve l' connectedtherewith which is located in the inner casing 5 and carries aprojection 8 as shown more particularly in Figure 13.

A plurality of push pins 9 pass through radial holes in the casing 4having their inner ends reduced and passing through holes in bracketsll] carried by the outer casing, springs ll tending to hold the pins intheir outermost positions. A disc I2 of non-conducting material iscarried by the shaft 3, within the casing 4 and supports a metallic disc!2 Figures 3 and 6, secured on which is a plate l3 having a part I3projecting from one end for engagement by the pins when the same arepushed inwardly. A contact ring it is carried by the disc l2 and isengaged by a contact member l5 attached to certain ones of the pins 9when said pins are pushed inwardly. When the member l5 contacts the ringM a circuit is closed to an alarm, part of the circuit including theconductor I6 passing through the shaft 3 and connected with the ring Itand also connect'edto a contact plate ll connected to and insulated fromthe rear end of the shaft 3 as shown in Figure 3, a spring contact I8contacting the plate I! and this contact I8 is connected to the rest ofthe circuit which may be grounded on any suitable part of the device.

The foregoing will be better understood when it is stated that theprojection I3 is for the purpose of stopping rotation. Upon pressing ofany of the pins not in combination, the alarm is set 50 off. Further, ifthe pin is pressed the metal disk has stopped or has been set, therewill be an automatic contact and the alarm is set 01f. The contactmember [5 shown attached to any of the pins not used as a combinationmember will serve for the purpose of giving alarm upon being pressed.

A plurality of rings I9 are rotatably arranged in the inner casing 5preferably by having enlarged edges engaging the grooves in the casingas shown in Figure 3, the rings being held in place by a platecontacting the opposite edges of the rings and having spacers 2! thereonengaging a cover plate 22 which covers the inner end of the casing 5 andbears against the inner face of the door I. Each ring I9 is providedwith a slot 23 and each ring is also provided with spaced notches 24 ofU-shape as shown more particularly in Figure '7, any one of thesenotches being adapted to receive a substantially U- shaped clip 25,shown in Figures 9 and 11. As shown in Figure 9 the sides of this clipextend beyond the sides of the ring so that one clip will engage a clipon an adjacent ring during the rotary movement of the rings and a clipcarried by the inner ring will be engaged by the projection 8 of thesleeve connected to the shaft 3 when the shaft is rotated. Thus theinner ring is rotated from the shaft and communicates its movement tothe next ring and the next ring will communicate its movement to thering next to it and so on until all the rings are being rotated by themovement of the shaft 3' due to the turning of the knob 6. Asubstantially T-shaped member 26 is adapted to be pressed into the slots23 of the rings when said slots are in alinement when said T-shapedmember is pressed inwardly by a sliding member 21 having its beveledparts 28 engaging the beveled parts 29 of the T-shaped member when saidsliding member is moved in a certain direction by the turning of a shaft30 which is connected to said member 2? by a link 3|, the shaft 30 beingturned by a handle 32 and said shaft is journalled in the parts I and 2of the door with the knob on the exterior of the door. The member 25 isnormally held outwardly by a spring 33 on a stem 34 threaded in a hole35 in the member 26, the spring being adjusted by a nut 36 threaded onthe stem. The member 27 is. of forked construction as shown in Figure 2so that it will straddle the shaft 3 with the ends of the prongs boltedtogether and a spacer 38 on the bolt between the prongs. A-guiding block39 is fastened to the inner face of the part 2 of the door and locatedbetween the prongs and this member also limits the inward movement ofthe member 26. This member 21 is connected with the bolts of the door inany suitable manner and as it will be seen this member 27 cannot bemoved by the shaft 30 or the shaft 30 rotated until the member 26 hasmoved into the slots 23 of the rings .so that until the slots of therings are in alinement the member 26 cannot move and thus this memberprevents movement of the member 21 and of the shaft 30 so that the boltcannot be retracted.

The pins 9 are provided with characters and each ring has the samenumber of slots 23 therein as there are pins and the slots are numberedthe same as the pins, thus making it easy to change the combination andwhen the combination is to be changedit is simply necessary to place theclips 25 in those notches 24 bearing the same numbers or characterswhich are the new combination of the pins.

When the bolt or bolts of the door is in looking position and it isdesired to open the door the 'knob' 6 is turned to the right a certainnumber of times in order to move all the rings IS in the same direction.Rotation is continued in this direction but the pin 9 corresponding tothe first number or character in the combination is depressed until therotation is stopped by the projection l3 striking this pin or button.Then the knob is turned in the opposite direction and at the same timethe second button of the combination is pressed. When rotation isstopped said second pin is momentarily released, allowing the rotationto continue and the button again depressed. Once again this is done onthis button and at the third stopping of the rotation, the second partof the combination has been concluded. Rotation is now made in theoriginal di rection and the third button is pressed inwardly to stop therotation "and then the button is released and the rotation continuesuntil stopped by said button. Rotation is now made to the left and thefourth and last button of the combination is depressed and when thefirst stop is made the lock is in open position, with slots 23 of therings 19 in alinement. Then by turningv the shaft 38 the member 21 willdepress the member 26 into the slots and the bolt or bolts will beretracted and the door may be opened.

As before stated when an attempt is made to open the look by one notknowing the combination the chances are he will push in one of thebuttons carrying the contact member l5 so that the alarm will besounded. These contact members should be placed on the buttons not usedin the combination.

If one is forced to open the door by a bandit or the like the alarm maybe made without disclosing the continuity of opening in the abovemanner. the knob is turned to give all the rings their rotary motion,the operator can press any one of the buttons carrying the contacts tosound the alarm and after the few turns neededto set the rings all goingthe correct buttons can be pressed and the opening made as usual.

If it is feared that they could not press a wrong button at the startwithout being noticed, the alarm may be made at any time during themovements for the first three numbers Without mak ing any falsemovements or disturbing ease or speed of opening.

This is done-in this manner: Suppose that one being forced to open thesafe, is afraid to press the wrong button at the start. The operatorwould set up the correct number on the first part, and in the actualopening he would proceed to reverse the rotation, and press the secondbutton and stop at this three times. Instead of that, he can press anybutton, stopping at it twice and for the third stop press the correctbutton. This may be done on any turn but the last making sure that youhold the wrong button one less stop.

In the event that a wrong button is used during the opening, it isimpossible to open safe, and it is also impossible to rectify this butcomplete renewal of the opening process must be made.

It is thought from the foregoing description that the advantages andnovel features of the invention will be readily apparent.

It is to be understood that changes may be made in the construction andin the combination.

and arrangement of the several parts provided that such changes fallwithin the scope of the appended claims.

What is-claimed is:

1. A combination lock of the class described comprising supportingmeans, a shaft rota-tably Duringthe initial opening movement when asecond projection, a plate attached to the shaft,

pins engaging the second projection when the pins are pushed inwardlyand stopping rotary movement of the shaft, said pins having thereoncombination characters, the slots in the rings being aligned when theshaft has been rotated in a certain direction and stopped by certain ofthe pins and bolt controlling means manually operated and entering thealigned slots for retracting a bolt.

2. A combination lock comprising supporting means, a shaft rotatablysupported thereby, a knob turning the shaft, a plurality of ringsrotatably supported by said means, and each provided with a slot, aprojection on the shaft, adjustable projections carried by the rings,the projection of the inner ring being engaged by the projection on thesleeve on the shaft and the projections of the rings engaging each otherin rotary movement of the rings, a second projection carried by a plateattached to shaft, movable resiliently mounted pins for engaging thesame when a pin is pushed inwardly for stopping rotary movement of theshaft in acertain direction, a member adapted toenter the slots of therings when the said slots are in alignment, a bolt controlling member,manually operated means for operating the same, said member moving thesecond member into the slots when moved by the manually operated means.

3. A combination lock comprising a barrier, a casing connected with theouter face of the barrier, a second casing connected to the inner facethereof, a shaft passing through the casings, a handle on the outer endof the shaft, a plurality of rings rotatably arranged in the secondcasing, each having a slot therein, and spaced notches therein, clipsdetachably engaging any one of the notches, said clips communicating themovement of one ring to another ring, a projection on a sleeve on theshaft engaging the clip on the inner ring for moving the same, aprojection on the shaft located in the first casing, push buttonsradially arranged in the first casing and when pushed inwardly engagingthe projection carried on the plate attached to the shaft to stop therotary movement of the shaft, a member passing into the slots of therings when the slots are in alignment, spring means for normally holdingthe member out of the slots, a slide moving said member into the slotswhen the slide is moved, and manually operated means for moving theslide.

JOSEPH SPADAFORA.

